PeaceHealth in Vancouver, Washington

PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center has a proud heritage. Originally called St. Joseph Hospital, it is the first hospital in the Pacific Northwest, established in1858 by then Sister Joseph of the Sacred Heart. In 1967, the Sisters of Providence officially transferred the institution to the St. Joseph Community Hospital Association.

Clark General Hospital opened in September, 1929. Trustees changed its name to Vancouver Memorial Hospital in 1945 to honor veterans.

In 1977, St. Joseph and Vancouver Memorial Hospitals merged, forming Southwest Washington Hospitals. In 1989, the name was changed to Southwest Washington Medical Center to reflect a major expansion in services.

In the fall of 2010, Southwest entered into affiliation discussions with PeaceHealth. After an extensive due diligence review, the two hospital systems agreed to move forward with affiliation effective January 1, 2011.

With more than 150 years of continuous service, PeaceHealth Southwest has the distinction of being called by some the oldest surviving hospital west of the Rocky Mountains.